Why Teddy and the Saints make sense short & long-term:

[whodatworm23]

The biggest reaction from fans and media alike over the Teddy Bridgewater trade has been the compensation the Saints gave up for a player that could very well be a one year rental for them. I decided to really breakdown the trade and view it with an unbiased opinion from both player and team perspective and here’s what I came up with…

Short-term:
For Bridgewater in the short-term this trade was a massive win because the Jets decided to go with there #3 overall pick SAM Darnold as their starter and once that decision is made their was only two options for Teddy and those were a trade or a backup to the rookie. By coming to the Saints, Bridgewater (while still a backup) gets to learn behind a future hall of fame quarterback in Drew Brees and under one of the best offensive minds in Sean Payton all while being a part of a team with championship aspirations which is a far cry from what he would have been doing in New York as a reserve.

From the Saints perspective, they just turned maybe their weakest link on their team into one of their strongest. By acquiring Bridgewater the Saints now have one of the best (if not the best) quarterback groups in the NFL and maybe the best insurance policy in the NFL as Bridgewater gives the Saints piece of mind behind Brees that the Season wouldn’t be a loss in the event of a injury to Brees. The Saints are built to win now and there going for it and Teddy Bridgewater gives them a Nick Foles type contingency plan for the worst case scenario on a contending team all for the cost of sliding back in the 2019 draft from the late 3rd round to the early 6th.

 

Long-term:
Here’s where the questions arise…

In Bridgewater’s case when you really break it down, after the season Teddy will have (in my opinion) 4 realistic options and they are to sign with either the Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or to resign with the New Orleans Saints and here’s why…

First, all other 28 NFL teams either have no need for a starting quarterback do to already investing in a young high draft pick or have quality high priced veterans already on the roster. So now let’s breakdown the 4 options I mentioned individually.

1. Miami Dolphins: Off these 4 the Dolphins may very well appeal to Teddy the most outside of the Saints due to the fact that Miami is his hometown and that Ryan Tannihill isn’t necessarily a sure thing. The downside however is that no one knows if Dolphins HC Adam Gase will keep his job after the season as he has been a big believer in Tannihill since he’s been there and might not want to intrust his future job security into Teddy. If in fact Gase is fired, It’s more than likely the Dolphins will be selecting within the top 10 of the 2019 NFL draft and possibly as high as top 5. With a new regime in place the probability of the Dolphins drafting a young franchise quarterback will be high which would put Bridgewater right back into the same position he found himself in with the Jets this offseason when New York selected Sam Darnold with the #3 overall pick. The last thing to consider is the fact that the Dolphins simply aren’t a very good football team with a lack of talent across the board particularly along the offensive line. 

2. Jacksonville Jaguars: If Bridgewater does not resign with the Saints, Jacksonville will be my prediction of where he will land. This move of course would mean that Blake Bortles completely bombs this season and the Jaguars go looking for a starting quality NFL quarterback they can win now with and Teddy would be (in my opinion) the best on the open market next year. The Jaguars would give Teddy a ready made contending team with a run first mentality like he had when he won in Minnesota early in his career. However, as I said before this would all be dependent on Bortles busting and the Jacksonville front office willing to move on from him a year after resigning him to a 3 year 54 million dollar extension. 

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs to me are another long shot due to the fact that like the Dolphins they will likely be going through a coaching change as well as having a high NFL draft selection that they could use on a quarterback if in fact they decide to part with former #1 overall pick Jamie’s Winston which I Personally feel will not happen which makes the Bucs a mute point even discussing as a potential landing spot.

4. New Orleans Saints: Finally with the Saints, Bridgewater would already have a comfort level with the offense and more than likely a firm understanding of How long Drew Brees might continue to play. The Saints also afford Bridgewater a talented ready made roster to win with the moment he takes over the helm for a franchise that provides him with the potential of great long-term success at the cost of being a reserve for a year or two.

Now let’s look at the two scenarios that could likely play out after this upcoming season regarding Teddy Bridgewater…

Scenario #1: Bridgewater signs elsewhere to be a starting quarterback in 2019.
In this case Teddy opts for more money and a chance to start sooner elsewhere. With extensions coming due for players such as Mark Ingram, Mike Thomas, Andrus Peat, etc as well as Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore later down the line the Saints will be frugal in their free agency spending particularly next offseason so if Bridgewater lands a chunk of money elsewhere then it will more than likely equate to either a 3rd or 4th round compensatory pick for the Saints making the initial trade of a 3rd rounder the Saints sent to the Jets to acquire Teddy more of a wash and we’ll worth having him as an insurance policy. 

Scenario #2: Teddy Bridgewater resigns with the Saints to be the heir to Drew Brees:
In this scenario Bridgewater realizes that his best long-term option is to remain in New Orleans and wait it out for Brees to hang up his cleats. If in fact this does become reality then the Saints could very well have found sustained success beyond their hall of fame quarterback for the cost of a late 3rd round pick. In theory, part of getting Teddy in New Orleans this year beyond as an insurance policy is to in fact sell Bridgewater on his potential long-term in New Orleans as the team’s next franchise quarterback. When you actually break down Bridgewater’s realistic options the Saints by far would be the most ideal long-term but will he be willing to sacrifice playing time and some money in the short-term to make it a reality?

I believe that the Saints believe he will be. 

 

WHODAT

[Dome]

I was very excited when I got a notification that @whodatworm23 posted a new topic. Missed ya buddy!

I’m swamped right now but this will be at the top of my reading list.

[Saint_Anger13]

I had a feeling Teddy would make his way to us. When we pulled the trigger for him I was happy, still am. Teddy can be great and has a great opportunity to go to NO and bring his skill set with him.